The present invention relates to a shoe-pocket that attaches to the laces of a shoe, and in particular to a shoe-pocket which attaches to the laces by one or more positive engagement systems for quick attachment and detachment.
There is a greater emphasis on athletics today compared to the past generations. An exercise shared by men and women is jogging which requires a minimum of clothing, such as a shirt or jacket, a pair of pants, and athletic shoes. Because of a lack of pockets, joggers are often hard pressed to carry door keys, change or other items which may be needed. Various shoe pockets have been employed to meet these needs. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,280,287, 4,372,060, 4,507,882, 4,630,383 and 5,094,016 generally describe product devices which are carried on athletic shoes, however, they all suffer from one or more disadvantages.
With the proliferation of the aids virus in today's civilization and the increasing public awareness of the need for the use of a condom in sexual activities, it is imperative that a condom be readily available when needed. Thus, this invention readily lends itself to this situation, as the condom will be available regardless of the presence or absence of pockets or pouches in the jogger's running outfits.
The shoe-pocket shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,287 is attached to an athletic shoe. The shoe pocket is sewn to the shoe on three sides, leaving one side open to receive an object. There is a hook and loop system to close the open side, thereby retaining the object. In another embodiment, a flat sheet with either the hooks or loops of a hook and loop system sewn to the perimeter is removably attached to the other of the hooks or loops permanently attached to the shoe to mate with the hooks or loops of the flat sheet. The problem with either of these embodiments is that the shoe pocket is located on the side of the shoe which may be difficult to reach or the shoe pocket may catch on something that may open the pocket and releasing the object contained therein.
Another shoe pocket permanently attached to an athletic shoe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,060 where the pocket is integral with the tongue. The tongue has an extra long length with a depression for holding articles. The extra length is folded over covering the articles. A hook and loop system holds the extra length in the folded position to close the depression or pocket. There is a problem with the folded extra length and the depression since the articles may slip out when jogging. Another problem is that the end of the tongue is also held down by the shoe lace, therefore the lace must be untied to uncover the pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,882 shows a shoe-pocket attached to the laces of an athletic shoe at one end of the pocket. The problem with this arrangement is that it is attached only at one end of the shoe pocket flaps during running or walking, which creates a distraction.
The shoe-pocket in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,383 is integrally formed as an extension of the shoe tongue. The tongue folds over the laces with the pocket opening exposed. A loop and hook system is employed to close the pocket. The shoe-pocket is only attached to the shoe tongue, therefore it is free to flap.
An interesting shoe-pocket is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,016 where the shoe-pocket is attached to the athletic shoe by the shoe laces. There is a loop and hook system for closing the open end of the pocket. Once the shoe-pocket is laced to the shoe it can not be removed without unlacing the shoe.